About this blog…

With At the River's Bend, the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer takes a look at what's going on in the political and government scene in Owensboro and Kentucky. Tune in to find out the latest news, happenings and political conversations that make this city and state such interesting places to live.

By my count, the audience broke out in applause 15 times during Beshear’s speech which ran just under 33 minutes.

After the speech, Senate President David Williams, a Burkesville Republican, paid tribute to former House Speaker Jody Richards, a Bowling Green Democrat, for his service leading the House. Richards was unseated by Rep. Greg Stumbo, a Prestonsburg Democrat, this year. Williams and Richards were at odds in recent years, but Williams thanked Richards for his service as the longest-serving House speaker in Kentucky’s history. The comments drew a standing ovation that lasted close to a minute.

Planners for the speech seated next to each other at the front of the House chamber Wednesday state Auditor Crit Luallen and Attorney General Jack Conway, who have both been mentioned as possible candidates for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010.

The speech was followed by a joint press conference by Williams and Stumbo, a preview of a weekly press conference to two will hold each Friday during the session. This revives the weekly joint press conference Williams and Richards used to have but which was done away with several years ago.

Attorney General Jack Conway announced Wednesday that his office will be sending an update on the state’s open meeting and open records laws to more than 1,400 public officials.

The update will include a new provision approved by the General Assembly this spring that will allow public agencies to notify the public and press about special meetings by e-mail. That change could allow the public to learn about special meetings more quickly and efficiently and make it easier for those agencies to provide appropriate notice.

Public officials who receive the update are required by law to pass it along to “all elected and appointed officials and members within the county, city, school district or university they represent,” the attorney general’s office noted.

In its press release, Conway’s office notes that the update “is aimed at enhancing public officials’ understanding of the law and ensuring open government.”

In other open meetings law news, the Messenger-Inquirer has received notice that Conway’s office has started its investigation into a complaint by the newspaper against the city of Owensboro and Daviess Fiscal Court.

The complaint alleged that both governments arrived at the decision to submit an offer for the Executive Inn Rivermont and what purchase price to offer without calling a special meeting of elected officials. The city and county both denied the complaint, which prompted the review by Conway’s office.

The attorney general’s office received the Messenger-Inquirer’s appeal on July 23 and has 10 business days to issue an opinion about whether the two governments broke the open meetings law.

Update…

Joe Biesk with the Associated Press has the full story on the open meetings law changes here or here.